Improvement in machine for picking and husking corn



s, R. KENYON.

Corn Husker. No'.:68,085. Patented Aug. 2?, I867.

-PETERS. PNQTO-LITHOGRLPHERI WASHMGTON. u C,

path was gaunt @ffm SlLAS R. KENYON, OF GREENVILLE, RHODE ISLAND,ASSIGNORTO HIMSELF AND MILTON G. JEFFERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 68,085, dated August :27, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE FOR PIUKING AND HUSKING CORN.

TOALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Be it known that l, SILAS R. KENYON, ofGreenville, in the county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island,have-invented, made, and applied to use, a certain new and usefulImprovement in Machinery for Picking and Husking Corn; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof thesaid invention, reference, being bad to the annexed drawing, making partof this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection of my machine.

Figure 2 is ajplan with the table removed; and

Figure 3 is a cross-section at theline :r :v, fig. 1.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts. 1

Oorn-huskers have heretofore been made with horizontal elastic rollersto pull off the husks, and inclined metallic rollers have been used forthe same purpose but in practice difliculties are experienced which mymachine hasybeen. devisedto overcome;

The nature of my said invention consists in a pair of rollers that graspand draw along the stalk and strip it from the ears which fall into ahopper so shaped as to direct the ears upon the basking-rollers, overwhich they travel endwise as the husk is stripped off.

I construct my machine so that the ear of corn cannot become clogged inthe machine, neither can it escape unhusked,'and I arrange my machine sothat it is adapted to large or small ears of corn; and the husking isefi'ected by inclined rollers having 'elastic surfaces and grooves orcorrugations to more efi'ectually seize the husks and stripsthemfrom thecar. i

In the drawing, a is the frame of the-machine; b, the table on which thecorn-stalks are laid and'fed in between the roller c and cylinder 02that draw said stalk through but break oil the ears of corn so that theyfall awayinto the hopper e. The roller 0 is set in yieldingjournal-boxes 1 1, with adjusting screws 2 2 to regulate the extent ofopening and ,prevent the same being such as to .allow of the earsdrawing in. The cylinder d is made of cast iron, with longitudinal ribsthat serve to break up the corn-stalks, andalso insure the breaking ofthe stalk at the car, so that the ear will be picked ofi the stalk andfall as aforesaid. The cast-iron ribbed cylinder is found practically toefi'ect the separation of the cars from the stalk, and the expensivecylinders heretofore employed are dispensed withf The cylinder cl isdriven by competent power, and by the gears 3' 4, shaft 5, andmitre-wheels 6 and 7. A revolving motion is given to the shaft 8 of thehu'slcing-rollerf, and from the shaft 8 the other rollers g h 2' and barIt receive rotation through thegea-rs 9 and 10, and the rollers aresustained by and, revolve in the supports 11 and 12. The rollersf, g,It, and z are each made of a metal bar, over which is a rubber roller.The surfaces of the rollersf and h are to be grooved or corrugated; therollersg and 2' are plain. The gearing that rotates the bushing-rollersis covered by the bottom of the hopper e, which bottom is elevated inthc centre, and forms two troughs on line with the pairs of rollersfandg, It and i, and said rollers are at an inclinationsufiicient for theear of corn to slide down the same endwise. An apron, Z, at the end ofthe hopper, prevents the ears of corn falling over or passing downsidewisfe, and insures their passing endwise down upon thehusking-rollers. "Itplace at the sides of the machine the inclinedhopper-boards m m, the lower edges of which are above the upper surfacesof the rollers g and i, and are provided with detainingestrips n, thatare held by screws passing through slots so that these detainers may beadjusted nearer to or farther from the rollersfan d It, according to thesize of cars to be operated on. Iprcfer that at the lowest end thesedctainers be adjusted to the size ofthc' smallest ears, and'at the upperend be sufficiently far away to allow the largest ears to rest upon therollers g, it, or t, and against the roller-f or it. Above the rollersfg h 2', and across between the hopper-hoards m m, I place guards 0,formed of rollers or strips of wood, beneath which the ears pass, andwhich prevent the ears turning up endwise asthey pass down upon therollers and are husked. Between and above the rollersf and It, I applythe rcvolvingtbar k, that is introduccd to prevent cars passing into thespace between said rollcrsf and 7t, and said bar should be polygonal orhave projections upon it to aid in throwing off to either side ears thatmay come into contact with it. Bcncath the rollersfg k z' arestripping-bars or knives q, that are made adjustable at their ends byscrews so as to keep the edge of said knife or bar in eon tact with therespective roller. These bars or knives strip any silk orhusk from therollers and prevent the same accumulating and winding upon either ofthese rollers. I These stripping-bars or knives 'may be applied to allor either of the husking-rollers. The roller-sf and h are to becorrugated or formed with longitudinal or spiral grooves to aid moreeffectually in-stripping off the husks, as said corrugations will loosenthe husk by contact and allow the rollers more quickly to nip orcatchany projecting portions of the husk, and thus comnience and effectthe husking operation. Furthermore, the action of the rollersf and h isto give a revolving motion to the ears, because the detaining-strips npartially lift the cars from the rollers g and 17, allowing the rollersfand]; to act on one side to press down the said ears and revolve them,stripping off the husks with rapidity and certainty, andwithout shellingthe corn from the cob.

The devices-before set forth have been applied to my machine to operatein the manner specified, and practically remove the diiiicultios thathave heretofore been experienced in this class of machines.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Iclaim forming the hopper with an inclined bottom, having a centralelevated portion that forms two troughs on line with the pairs ofhusking-rollersf and r 71v and i, so as to insure the delivery of theears endwise to such pairs of basking-rollers, as specified.

2. I claim placing the rollersfand h higher than the rollers g and i, soas to insure the rotation of the ears as they pass endwise along suchpairs of rollers as set forth. I

3. I claim the revolving bar It, applied above the rollersf and h, toprevent ears of corn passing down the space between these rollers andescaping unhusked, as set forth.

4. I claim a series of inclined hashing-rollers, arranged substantiallyas shown, and formed with elastic grooved surfaces to one or bothrollers of each pair, for the purposes set forth.

5. I claim the adjustable detaining-strips it, applied in the mannerspecified, in combination with the pairs of inclined husking-rollers forthe purposes set forth,

6. I claim the stripping-bars or knives q, fitted adjustably as setforth, in combination with the. pairs of bushing-rollers, arranged asset forth.

'T. I claim the combination of the guards 0, inclined husking-rollers,hopper-boards m, and bar It to insure the proper position of the ear inpassing endwisc down upon the inclined basking-rollers, as set forth.

Inwitnes's whereof I have hereunto set my signature this fifteenth dayof March,A. D91867.

SILAS R. KENYON.

Witnesses:

Gno. D. WALKER, Onns. H. SMITH)

